Page 91 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

“Seriously?”Owen added.

Bennett looked at Sawyer.“What?”

“Landrys don’t really talk,” he said, lifting a shoulder.

“That hasnotbeen my experience,” Bennett said dryly.It wasn’t just Leo who could go on and on and on.Nor did they have to be drunk for that to happen.

“Nah, when it comes tobigstuff, weshowit,” Owen said.

Josh nodded.“And you’re gonna have to make it big.That’s how we do stuff.Big.Loud.Like jackasses.”

Bennett sighed.“I don’t have a lot of experience with that.”

“We can definitely help you there.”Suddenly Leo was there, turning a chair around and straddling it, leaning onto the back of it as if to impart some great wisdom.

Well, Bennett could use some of that.Kennedy wasn’t talking or listening.“So, how do I do this?”he asked.

“It’s like when Tori stood up at her best friend’s wedding and declared her feelings for Josh in front of a whole congregation of people,” Owen said.“The hardest thing for her was putting herself out there with her emotions and risking that they wouldn’t be returned or that she’d made a fool of herself.”

“Or,” Sawyer said, “When Maddie did the one thing she most did not want to do and got on an airboat, went out on the bayou, and pulled a gun on a gator for Owen.”

Josh nodded.“Or when Juliet faced her fear of the water and went out on a tour with Sawyer and then hung off the end of the dock to rescue Gus.”

They were all nodding.

“You have to do something that’s huge.Even if it’s just huge foryou,” Owen said.“You have toshowher how you feel.”

Leo made a snorting sound and Bennett looked over.“What?”

“Did you notice the thing that all those stories had in common?”he asked.

The guys all looked at each other.

“Yeah,” Josh said.“Someone putting themselves out there for the person they loved.”

“Yeah,” Leo echoed.“Thegirlsputting themselves out there foryoudumbasses.”

Josh opened his mouth but then seemed to think about it and shut it again.Owen said, “Yeah, but…” He didn’t, however, finish that statement.

Finally Sawyer looked at Bennett.“Yeah, maybe we don’t really know what to tell you.”

Bennett sighed.Leo laughed.

“I guess I just…” He looked around the table.He thought these guys really might get this.“Every couple needs a Leo, right?”

No one looked confused.But no one said anything, either.

“There has to be that one who is ready and able to build the life.Who can take care of things.Who gets stuff done.”

Josh shrugged.“I think Tori and I figured that out together.Hell, we’re still figuring it out.We just know we want to be together.But we both take care of things.And each other.”

Owen nodded.“Us, too.I’m maybe a little steadier than Maddie, but since she’s been back, she’s been pretty damned solid on what she wants.I think we’re maybe both Leos.”

Bennett shook his head.He’d been making this case in his head and heart all along.It had to make sense.“But someone has to be the rock.The one who has it figured out.That one who knows who they are and what they want and can let the other one be the dreamer and the risk taker…” He trailed off.All of those words swirling through his head.“Holy shit,” he said a second later.

Leo nodded.“There you go.”And he reached for a fry.

“What?”Owen asked, looking from Bennett to Leo and back.“What is holy shit?”

---